Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the printing of hosiery.
Description of Prior Art
In the production of hosiery, it is often desired to create a decorative pattern on the finished article by printing, the printing process being performed either during or after fabrication. Conventionally, the printing process is carried out by first placing sheets of a print carrier (such as printing paper) on either side of the form, followed by a hot pressing operation to transfer the print from the carrier to the hosiery. However, this process results in discontinuities in or a mismatching of the printed pattern along lines where the hosiery passes around the side edges of the form, giving rise to poor aesthetic appearance of the finished article.
Attempts have been made to obviate this problem by using a single sheet of print carrier folded in two, rather than two separate sheets of print carrier. The sheet is placed so that its fold line runs along one side edge of the form, the intention being that the printed pattern will be carried continuously around that edge. Although a discontinuity will still occur at the other side of the form, this will normally be in an area of the hosiery where a mismatch in the pattern can be accepted, such as along the rear of the hosiery leg. In practice, however, it is found that the squeezing action imposed by the hot pressing process causes the fold in the print carrier to separate from the side edge of the form and from the hosiery thereon, so that a discontinuity of pattern is still processed in the finished article.